Fair Flower
by Dorkipus
Summary: Nothing interests Xun Yu besides his job as Cao Cao's advisor. Unfortunately for him, Yu's parents are scheming his marriage so his future and the Xun family's bloodline is secured. Upon discovery, Yu vows that he will never marry. His ideas begin to falter when he befriends the eccentric Li Xue, someone he feels conflicted about. [XY & OC].
1. Chapter 1 - Welcome Back

" **Fair Flower** "

by Dorkipus

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 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own Dynasty Warriors, or any of its characters. They belong to Koei Tecmo rightfully and respectfully. The only thing I have ownership of is this story and my original character(s). As always, expect some historical inaccuracies.

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 **CHAPTER 1** | Welcome Back

"Look at that man on the chariot over there!"

"Isn't he the guy who works as Lord Cao Cao's advisor? Judging by his looks, he seems like a promising individual."

"It's the mighty son of Xun Kun!"

Xun Yu's heard it all.

Born and raised from a family renowned for scholars, there were always people who spoke highly of him wherever he went. Personally, Xun Yu never thought of himself that way, or if, at all. He was as ordinary as any person that came to mind. But of course, the result was inevitable: he was bound to have acclaim under such lineage.

Aside from his relations, Yu was also respected for working as an advisor for Cao Cao, a righteous man of incredible ambition to unite all of China and most importantly—a leader of a new era. Anyone actively supporting Cao Cao's cause would receive some recognition from the general public, regardless of their social status.

While Yu felt uncomfortable going to places he knew he'd draw attention at, today was a different story. He traveled to his hometown to briefly visit his family. This was Yu's first break in months from work, despite its short period. Because there was little time to squander, he needed to spend as much with his family. Thus, he embarked from Xuchang at dawn.

Upon his arrival at Ji Province during the afternoon, he encountered a mob of townspeople swarming his chariot. He identified a few faces among the crowd, although none of the people there were from his family, much to his dismay. Yu, nonetheless, was pleased to see some company.

"So, what brings you back here, young man?" a burly man inquired whilst walking alongside the flank of Xun Yu's horse.

"I wanted to visit my family for a bit," Yu replied to him with a small smile. "It's been several months since I last saw them."

"Oh. Don't you have work to do in Xuchang, though?"

"Yes, but there are other people who are carrying out my tasks while I'm away."

Like most weekends, Xun Yu remained working at the Xuchang Palace, but it was his lord that insisted him to take time for himself after many months of nonstop labor. Yu refused the proposal at first, aware that he'd only have more responsibilities to maintain once he returned. He ultimately relented after realizing that his lord was right about his deteriorating condition, but also had his own reasons for accepting the offer.

Being the workaholic he was, Xun Yu never considered excusing himself from work unless the situation was urgent. This occasion, however, was different. This was one of the only opportunities he would be given to collect himself from stress, and he intended to use it wisely.

"Well, if you happen to be free while you're here, make sure to come to my smithy," the man beamed. "There's tons of cool weapons you should check out!"

"I will consider it," Yu said with a smirk. Just recently, he thought of getting a new formation rod [ **1** ] to replace his old one, although he suppressed fulfilling that idea when he remembered that he gave away most of his money to his friends back at Xuchang. He would have to wait a bit until he earned more pay from work again to be able to afford another. In the meantime, Yu was stuck using the shabby stick for warfare—not that he'd get very far with it before its timely demise.

"In that case, you should also stop by at our noodle shop!" a person in the sea of the townspeople exclaimed. "I guarantee you're going to love all of the dishes!"

"Don't forget about us!" another voice began. "We have the finest clothes in all of China!"

"Try some of the best crops at the market over here!"

"We sell the most magnificent accessories! Shop with us!"

A bead of sweat crept down Yu's forehead. The crowd was certainly roused. What did he get himself into? Cautiously, he guided the chariot towards an empty path that would eventually lead him to his destination. Yu hoped they didn't notice him leaving the scene; he'd rather not be involved in more conflict.

It was a matter of time before Xun Yu turnt up at the entrance of a familiar dwelling. He had stationed his horse and chariot at a nearby tree prior to approaching the respectful abode of his parents. This was one of his favorite places to visit. This location reminded him of his peaceful life back in Yingchuan before his family sought refuge in the north to avoid a raid led by tyrant Dong Zhuo's men. It had been several years since that incident. As much as he missed his original home, Ji Province was a safer area to reside at. Had Yu's family stayed there during that period, they would've been massacred.

Yu carefully crossed the threshold of the house. He then glanced around the room he was in. It was empty; not a single person other than himself was present. He pursed his lips while taking off his shoes at the entrance, and then settled upon the nearest chair on his left. Yu wondered if his parents knew he was here. In regards to his advent, he had dispatched a messenger to notify them in advance. Usually, they waited outside to greet him, but that wasn't the case this time. They simply weren't there.

 _'Maybe I should go look for them?'_ he thought to himself as he rose from his seat. They were probably too busy that they forgot about him. That was understandable.

"Who are you and why are you in here?"

Xun Yu's view immediately shifted to a young woman atop the staircase. Her eyes were wide and she stood erect with her arms by her sides.

"I am Xun Yu, the son of Xun Kun and Lady Wen [ **2** ]," Yu declared. "Now, if you don't mind me asking informally, my lady, where are my parents?"

"Hmph! As if I'm going to share the whereabouts of my master and madam to some petty intruder," she sputtered indignantly, crossing her arms across her chest. She then narrowed her eyes at him.

Yu raised his eyebrows. Clearly, he wasn't an intruder. On the side note, this woman was probably one of the most strangest, stubborn people he had ever come across. He sighed again. _'What a nuisance.'_

"Oh my, what is with all this ruckus?"

A short, plump figure in a peach robe emerged from the shadows behind the woman, who turned around in surprise and then kneeled in their presence, lowering her head.

"Lady Wen, there's a strange visitor below that claims to be your son," she quickly reported. "He claims he is 'Xun Yu,' but everyone knows that no child of the Xun family has the indecency to break into people's homes for fun."

"Xun Yu, huh?" the woman questioned, making way down the stairs. The young lady nodded silently as Yu remained still, observing the woman's movements.

"Greetings, mother," he said. Instinctively, he bowed. "Have you and father been well while I was gone? How about my brothers?"

"We've all been well, my son," she replied, following with a small chuckle. She then sat on the last step of the staircase. Promptly reverting to his previous form, Yu caught the young woman ahead glaring at him before she averted her gaze.

"How's work in Xuchang going for you, child?" his mother Lady Wen asked.

"It's decent, I suppose," he replied softly as he sat back down the chair. Frankly, Yu's affairs with the government and military weren't interesting enough to bother mentioning. "If I may ask, where is father?"

"Your father? Oh, he's in his room sleeping. He's been too exhausted to do much, nowadays. I think his age is finally catching up to him."

"Well, I hope his health improves soon. Father has much to accomplish, despite his age. Oh, and I see we have a new guest?" He took a glimpse at the lady above. She was dressed in a plain, maroon hanfu [ **3** ] that accentuated her slim physique and her hair was tied two buns, in exception for the thick bangs that loosely hung over eyebrows. She also wore an apron tied over her waistline. Xun Yu wondered if she was a servant. Whatever she was, she didn't seem familiar.

"You must be talking about Miss Jingfei, our new servant. She was hired to replace our previous one who quit a couple weeks ago. Have you greeted her yet?"

"No, not yet. We seemed to have started off on the wrong foot." Just as Yu was about to bow to the new servant, she immediately turned around and vanished into the dark corridor that his mother came from a moment ago. While he was disappointed that he wasn't able to make amends with Jingfei, he wasn't the slightest bit surprised by her action. She probably didn't want to associate herself with some guy that just humiliated her.

"Jingfei is usually like that, don't mind her," assured his mother, cutting Yu short of his thoughts. "She's wary around strangers. You'll need to get closer with her before she starts opening up. Believe me, your father and I went through a similar phase when we first met her. Don't worry, though. She's actually a nice, young lady. Just don't get on her bad side. Women like us are unpredictable creatures, you know?"

"Well, she's one of the strangest creatures I've ever encountered," Yu remarked. Lady Wen grinned, apparently amused by his comment.

"Speaking of women, are there any ones that have sparked your interest?"

It didn't take long for him to think of a response to the question; the answer was blatant.

"No."

The wife of Xun Kun blinked at her son a couple times, her mouth ajar.

"Really now?"

"Of course, mother. You know I'd never deceive you—or anyone, for that matter."

That said, almost everyone knew Xun Yu was an honest man. He always spoke candidly, despite the severity of the situation. Lying was probably one of his worst skills anyway, which was primarily why he never resorted to it in the first place— _and_ , not to mention, he utterly despised liars.

"Interesting," Wen murmured as the servant reappeared with a bundle of white linen sheets in her arms.

"Madam, the guest room is ready," Jingfei announced from above. Wen's lips curled into a smile as she walked over to her son and patted his shoulders.

"I bet you're exhausted from traveling," she said to Yu, who seemed mildly detached after the conversation a moment ago. "Fortunately, Jingfei was generous enough to spare a couple minutes to prepare your bedroom. Also, if you need anything, just ask her. Now, please do get some rest. We can talk about other things later."

"Alright then."

Without further ado, he slid off the seat and made way up the staircase, merely passing by his mother after the first step. When he finally reached the next level, Yu proceeded down the narrow, dimly lit corridor. He continued all the way down until the end where his old bedroom was located. Yu opened the door, entering the illuminated room with a large grin.

 _'It feels great to be back home.'_

* * *

 **NOTES**

[ **1** ] The ' **formation rod** ' is Xun Yu's default weapon in _Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires_.

[ **2** ] Xun Yu's mother's real name was not recorded in any historical texts, so I just made her a random one to refer her as throughout this story.

[ **3** ] ' **Hanfu** ' refers to the traditional attire of the ancient Han Chinese.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE** : Greetings! Did anyone miss me while I was on my long hiatus? Probably not, lol. Anyhow, it's been a while since I last wrote something for this community, so I thought it would be nice to have a comeback to show my readers that I'm not dead.

So, if it isn't obvious enough by now, I was heavily inspired by _Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires_ to write this fanfic. I actually began this story back in November 2015 (right around the time I had an unhealthy obsession to the game) and was planning to release it sometime in March of this year, but I was unable to because of school, for the most part. That, and I wanted to type the entire story first before releasing any content. Well, that obviously didn't go as planned. But I guess it's better late than never, so there's the first chapter I meant to post a while ago.

Anyway, it would mean a lot if you guys left me a review! Constructive feedback is very important to me.

That said, please stay tuned for the next chapter! :)

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 _THIS CHAPTER WAS LAST MODIFIED ON **MARCH 23, 2017.**_


	2. Chapter 2 - Determination

" **Fair Flower** "

by Dorkipus

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 **CHAPTER 2** | Determination

Instead of resting like his mother suggested, Xun Yu spent the last couple of hours examining the poetry he composed when he was a youth. The last time he visited, he never saw these pieces on his bedroom shelf. He was confident he discarded these compositions years ago, but figured it wouldn't hurt to read some of them now that they were back.

 _Oh, boy._

Needless to say, Yu was glad he didn't become a poet. His thoughts were too complex to be expressed in mere words. He preferred to read works of others rather than his own. The average human would probably develop a migraine from trying to analyze his conceptual ideas on paper. On the other hand, his close companion Cao Cao was a lover of the arts and enjoyed composing poetry in his leisure. The man's work was iconic; almost everyone in Wei memorized his poems verbatim and understood their themes. It was an impressive feat for someone like Cao Cao, who was also a warlord and the chancellor of Wei. His influence was incredible.

Just as he was going to pick up the next piece to read, Yu heard a resonant creak from his door. He placed the parchments back on the shelf and turned around, only to see his mother standing at the entryway.

"Ah, you're awake already?" she asked, clearly surprised. "I just came to check in on your condition, thinking you'd still be asleep. Also, your father is finally awake."

"I was actually awake this whole time," Yu confessed, a small grin gracing his lips. "It turns out I wasn't tired at all, so I was looking at some of my old writings. I swore I threw them away a while ago, but I read them anyway." He briefly pointed at the shelf before facing his mother again.

"Maybe you should ask Jingfei," Lady Wen suggested. "She regularly monitors each room in this house. She may have found your belongings one day and placed it in here, thinking you'd want it if you saw it again."

 _'I suppose that's plausible,'_ he considered. Either way, he was planning to dispose of it again. This time he was going to _make sure_ he'd never have to relive embarrassing products of his past.

"Hopefully she didn't read them. . ." Yu faintly continued. Frankly, the last thing he wanted was the servant using his cringeworthy poetry as blackmail against him for the incident that occurred a couple hours ago. He'd never be able to face the world the same way ever again if she did.

"Anyways, I guess I should change the topic," he said. He didn't want to talk about his terrible experience with poetry all day. He was bored of it and his mother probably was too. "As you probably know, dear mother, I won't be here as long this time because of a social event I have to attend this weekend. That in mind, I will be returning to Xuchang tomorrow evening. My schedule will be quite hectic from there on, especially with the new year arriving. I don't know when I'm coming back to visit, so I'd like to offer my assistance to you and father while I'm here."

Lady Wen crossed her arms and averted her gaze momentarily, as though she was contemplating an appropriate response. Meanwhile, Yu hoped his mother (and father) would be considerate of his situation. He didn't want his parents to think he was intentionally trying to distance himself away from his family by using his job has an excuse. That was obviously untrue.

"I don't have a particular request in mind right now," Wen said, breaking the silence, "but I was wondering if you'd be fine attending a friend's party this evening. It will take place somewhere in town. You may recognize some faces while you're there. You might even get to meet new people."

"Sure, I'll go." Yu had nothing better to do tonight, anyway. He was free from work.

Unexpectedly, Jingfei walked in the room with his luggage. She had an impassive expression like usual.

"Oh, Jingfei, would you like to attend a party with the family this evening?" Wen asked the girl brightly. The vassal merely shook her head and placed Yu's items by the door. Yu saw the servant sneak a glimpse at him before dismissing herself.

Just as the servant departed, Wen sighed. "Poor Jingfei. She's been acting more distant lately."

"Mother, you don't think she's scared of me, do you?" He was just curious. She didn't seem to like him very much.

"Nonsense, child. If anything," she began as she leaned towards his ear, "she is probably interested in you."

"Don't be ridiculous, mother," Yu chided. While it was not courteous to chastise an elder, he had to confront his mother regarding her delusions before issues arose; she was notorious for spreading rumors. "We barely even know each other for that matter. I'm sure she doesn't even like me, considering our initial encounter."

"Jingfei is a nice, young lady. I'm sure you'd like to get to know her more. How about I arrange a meeting between you two?"

"Mother, please don't." He didn't know why his mother seemed so eager to make them closer. He also thought he made it clear that he was _not_ interested in anyone.

"Come on, it won't be _so_ bad. At your age, it's going to be harder for you to court women. Think of this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Xun Yu crossed his arms. Now he knew what she was insinuating.

"I appreciate your concern, but I must refuse this opportunity."

"Why are you turning down my offer? Don't you want to get married?"

"I do want to get married, but . . ." Yu's words dwindled into an undecipherable mumble as he debated whether to tell her the truth or end the conversation. If he was going to tell her the truth, he wondered if he would need to meticulously pick out his words so he wouldn't offend her. Yu wasn't the type of person to sugarcoat his words, so this would prove to be a difficult task. Then again, they were discussing a serious topic. His future was potentially at stake. Nothing good would come out treating marriage as trivial. Perhaps it would be better to speak candidly this issue.

This wasn't the first time his mother attempted to set him up with women in hopes he'd consider _marriage_. Xun Yu shuddered at the thought of it. Unfortunately for her, he was not going to marry just yet. He had too many responsibilities to maintain, and marriage would just be another burden. There were too many expectations affiliated with it, and Yu was less than willing to fulfill any. He was cynical towards the idea that having a spouse would make him more productive when it would most-likely result in languor because of the stress that would unfold by trying to keep his spouse happy while simultaneously managing his career. Naturally, he wanted out from this mess.

"Well? Why don't you want to marry? You haven't told me yet." His mother's words impeded Yu's line of thought. _'Well, here goes nothing,'_ he thought to himself as he cleared his throat and slowly opened his mouth once more.

"Marriage is a personal choice that should be respected," he firmly declared. "As such, I have decided that I will not be marrying—not anytime soon, anyway."

"And tell me: what is this 'personal choice' you speak of?"

Would she believe him if he told her the absolute truth? He had little time left to think. Admittedly, he was anxious to confess that he simply had no interest in marriage because his parents would be incredibly disappointed in him over a petty reason. Not only would they be disappointed, they would probably call him a dishonor to the Xun bloodline. He never let them down before and planned not to, even now. On the contrary, he wished they'd allow him more freedom in his future, or at least empathized with his difficult position. He felt conflicted more than ever.

Yu just wanted his visit his parents and share some stories while on his break, rather than have his personal life pried into. But because his mother insisted on knowing his future, he had no choice but to tell her.

"I . . . promised Lord Cao Cao that I would aid him to unify and restore peace to the land, and that is what I intend to do."

What he said wasn't a lie. But it was also not the truth. Even so, he was convinced this reason alone would suffice. The value of his companionship with Lord Cao Cao was great enough that his parents allowed him to continue working alongside him because they trusted the former. It was a better excuse than 'I don't want to get married because I don't feel like it.'

He cast a glance towards his mother. Her arms were crossed and her face was expressionless, almost in a superficial manner that seemed as if she were trying to stifle a frown behind her pursed lips and slightly raised eyebrows. Yu didn't how else to continue without displeasing his mother further.

"My poor son . . . do you ever think about _yourself_?" she asked. Yu cocked an eyebrow. He thought he already explained himself—twice. Nevertheless, he listened to what else she had to say. "I hope you realize that your sole purpose in life isn't just about doing things for others. Think about yourself, too."

"Of course."

"Well, if this is what you truly want, I will support it; however, I'm not sure if your father will also agree. You know he will want you to follow your brothers' [ **1** ] steps, right?" He certainly knew that, too. It was tradition to get married, especially around Yu's age. He remembered attending both of his brothers' weddings years ago, a couple years before he decided to work for Cao Cao. He rarely saw either sibling since. Yu wondered how they felt, basically being married against their will. He didn't like thinking about it, knowing he was probably next.

Yu gingerly placed a hand on Wen's shoulder as they stood face-to-face.

"Don't worry too much about your youngest son, mother. I'm an adult now; I assure you that I know what's best for my future," Yu affirmed, his eyes beaming with determination. Wen smiled weakly and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him to a warm embrace. Astonished, Yu looked down at his mother's head that was pressed against his chest [ **2** ] and decided to return the favor by patting her back.

It was a touching but awkward moment for him, to say the least. He could probably say the same for his mother, who also stood there in silence.

* * *

Evening finally arrived and Xun Yu found himself seated between his parents in a carriage that was headed to a party somewhere in town. On his left was his father Xun Kun, who was talking about various topics throughout the entire ride thus far, and on his right was his mother, staring outside the window for the majority of the trip, indifferent to their conversation. Bored, he briefly broke eye contact with his father to look out the window behind the latter to determine their location. Yu noticed it was getting darker out as the sun descended behind the horizon, so he squinted, hoping there would at least be a shadow of a building outside so his mind could be put at ease. Before they embarked, he expected the town to be nearby. Hours passed since, and he didn't know how much longer his patience would last. Yu decided to pay attention to his father again when he sensed unrelenting tugging on his left sleeve. He apologized and then sighed, hoping the journey would soon end.

"Anyways, like I was saying before, you should be grateful for being born in the Xun family!" Xun Kun continued as his son listlessly nodded and only responded in phrases of agreement. "We are well-disciplined and fairly respected. I guess you could say we have good genes. Unfortunately, your mother and I are too old to bear more offspring with the Xun family genes. Speaking of genes, when will I be expecting my grandchildren? The Xun bloodline must prosper, you know. Are you engaged yet? Will I be invited to your wedding? If so, when is it?"

"I'm not engaged yet, but I suppose I'll invite you to the wedding when the time comes because you insist on coming," Yu replied. His father let out a hearty chuckle and pat his son's back.

"Well, I hope you get married soon. I could arrange one for you, if you're struggling. There are many beautiful maidens around your age here. I'd even expect some at the party we're going to."

"No thanks, father. Thanks for the suggestion, though."

Before his father could say anything else, Yu asked the driver how much longer it would take to get to their destination. The driver said the trip would only be a few minutes longer. Satisfied with the response, Xun Yu sunk back into the cushions and closed his eyes. The remainder of the ride was unusually quiet.

Upon arrival, the three dismounted themselves from the carriage and bid their adieus to their driver before approaching the large building that was apparently bustling with company, judging from the animated silhouettes of people in the windows. The air also reeked of alcohol. Yu was reluctant to advance, but his fate was sealed once his father opened the door.

In a blink of an eye, Yu found himself situated at a table, surrounded by countless unrecognizable faces. While attempting to process what was going on, he was being showered with greetings, praises, and invitations to drink with them. He tried to respond to most of the comments, but he was overwhelmed with more. Needless to say, all the attention was on him.

"Hey, hotshot, how about a couple shots of _mijiu_ [ **3** ]?" a red-faced burly man suggested. He pushed two small glass cups across the table towards Yu and some poured transparent liquid in it, each one about three-fourths full.

"Ah, no thanks," Yu said, trying to be polite as possible. He carefully pushed the cups back to the burly man. "I don't like drinking. It upsets my stomach."

To his surprise, Yu was bombarded with complaints and insults from the people around him. Defeated, he apologized for refusing the offer, and the burly man pushed the cups back, smirking. Yu grabbed one of the cups and exhaled deeply. He then peered at the contents inside the cup, slowly hoisting it towards his lips. _'No more liquor after these two,'_ Yu mentally noted a couple seconds before he chugged the first. As the crowd cheered, he recoiled at its unexpected bitter taste and was hesitant to finish the last one. He _hated_ drinking. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have much of a choice at this party. The people were going to pressure him, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin everyone's mood.

Reluctantly, Yu picked up the last cup and viewed his environment. There were men and women everywhere, on every side of the table and room, and their eyes were on him. He searched for his parents, but they were nowhere to be seen. He guessed they were in some other part of the building, which he was thankful for, as he didn't want them to see their son in this mess.

"C'mon! What're you waiting for? Are you going to drink like a champ or bail out like a loser?" Yu heard a man holler.

"I will drink, just be patient," Yu stiffly said, staring at the cup again.

"We believe in you, handsome Yu!" shrieked a couple women in the corner.

 _'Welp. Here goes.'_ Yu closed his eyes, and lifted the cup to his mouth, downing the liquid as quick as possible. When he finally guzzled every last drop of the rice wine, he slammed the cup on the table and looked in the direction of the burly man with his bleary vision.

"I think that'll be enough for tonight," he managed to wheeze while grasping at his grumbling stomach. He felt an ache developing. Yu subsequently excused himself from the room to go outside.

 _'Finally—some peace and quiet.'_ Yu leaned back against the wall of the building with a hand still over his aching stomach. He didn't feel so good. Thankfully he didn't drink more than what he was given, otherwise he'd have some serious waste issues. The pain was fairly subtle at the moment. Relieved, Yu rubbed his eyes and gazed at the large, glowing orb in the starry sky. He had never seen the moon that close until now. The only inconvenience he was experiencing was his fuzzy sight, so the moon was slightly a blur. He was fascinated by the view, nonetheless.

Abruptly, from a fair distance, Yu perceived some commotion between what seemed to be a group of women and men. He heard some high-pitched screams, laughing, and some exchanges of conversation with vulgar language. Intrigued, Yu began walking towards the area of ruckus, which happened to be behind the building.

When he arrived, he noticed there were some bodies of women sprawled on the floor in front of a trembling woman who was facing a foursome of much taller and muscular men a meter away. The woman in the long, black hanfu resembled a noble, whereas the men looked like thugs. On the side note, none of them seemed to notice Yu.

"Look, lady," began the tallest man of the group, "if you're not gonna pay up now for your father's debt to us, we have no choice but to take you captive."

The lady stepped forward and put her hands on her hips indignantly.

"That's absurd!" she exclaimed. "Why must you take _me_ captive? I have nothing to do with my _father's_ affairs! I assure he was never associated with you petty peasants. But if I must pay now, there has to be some alternative that doesn't require money."

Yu spotted a thug lean towards the tallest man's ear and whisper something unclear. He was getting bad vibes from this situation.

"Well, there's always this _one_ option," the tall man continued, his voice now lowered. His cronies were snickering.

"Oh, really? What is it?"

Before the man could resume his speech, Yu walked over to the leader and instinctively pulled off the pouch of coins that hung from his silk belt, holding it out for him to take. The leader, surprisingly a couple inches shorter than Yu, quickly scanned him from head to toe with a funny expression and then seized the bag.

"Thanks?" the man said dubiously.

"Just take the money and leave the lady alone," Yu insisted with a hint of annoyance in his tone. He wanted to make sure the lady got out here unscathed. Had he not intervened, he probably would've witnessed something utterly heinous committed by those hoodlums seconds ago, and he'd never forgive himself for not preventing it. Like any thug he ever encountered, those men seemed up to no good. If they didn't get their way, they would probably use any means to humiliate their victims in attempts to quell their inner turmoil. In this case, they seemed to have financial isuues.

"I don't know how much money is in there, but I'm sure it's more than enough for your guys' needs," Yu added. He then approached the lady, who now appeared relaxed, and asked if she was okay. She nodded and hid behind him as the group of men distributed the coins among themselves in awe.

After a couple minutes or so, the two watched the group of men walk away to their line steeds from afar. Relieved they could finally leave without having a member give them the stink-eye, Yu and the woman made way towards the entrance of the building.

"How could I ever repay you for saving me?" she asked him, once they reached their destination. Yu leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms, looking at the starry sky once more.

"You don't have to compensate for my actions, miss," assured Yu as he closed his eyes. He was strangely worn out from the confrontation a moment ago. Perhaps he stressed too much about it. "I was just doing what I thought was right."

"Yes, of course, but you _really_ deserve a reward for your service!"

"No thanks; I don't need anything from you. I appreciate the offer, though."

"There's got to be something I can give you . . ."

"I will be leaving now, miss." He opened his eyes and hurried towards the front door. Just as he laid his hands on the handle, the woman clung onto his sleeve like a magnet. He released the handle and turned around to face her again, stifling a sigh.

"Yes?" he inquired, forcing a grin on face. She also freed her grip and stood back to look at him in the eye. Like most women he encountered, she was several inches shorter than him, but barely taller than average. Her hair was also very long. Like her hanfu, it touched the floor.

"You're not in a relationship are you, sir?" she questioned. The grin quickly faded off Yu's face.

"No, I am not. Why do you ask?" To his bewilderment, she began jumping up and down with her hands on her reddening cheeks for a minute before responding.

" _Really_? I was so surprised. You're really handsome, you know that? Oh, joy! That means I can tell my father about this!"

"Sorry, but what are you suggesting?"

"Huh? Oh, right! You and I should totally get married. My father and I will arrange our wedding. It's going be very extravagant—like I want it. On the other hand, you'll get lots of fortune and fame. How does that sound?" Yu looked away in disappointment and wondered why he even bothered to put up with this woman. She was too spoilt for her own good. He was definitely _not_ marrying her of all people.

"I'm sorry, but I must decline that, too. We barely know each other. Besides, I'm simply not interested in your . . . _bribes_. I worked very hard to achieve my status today." He jumped in surprise when she stomp her foot.

"Why are you so stubborn? Can't you agree to at least _one_ of my offers? Don't try to act so humble."

Taken aback by her rather brash behavior, Yu turned around and entered the building like he intended before she decided to hound him. Paranoid, he scurried into a random room, took off his hat, and huddled among a horde of intoxicated elderly people, so his height wouldn't give him away. He felt goofy in this position, but he would do anything to ward her away.

Sometime later, the party ended and all the guests departed—well, except for the Xun family. Their escort had not arrived yet, so they were sitting under a tree, patiently expecting his arrival. While waiting, Xun Yu and his mother were conversing while his tipsy father was unconscious.

"How was the party?" Lady Wen asked. Yu shrugged.

"It was interesting, to say the least," he replied. He thought of the uncomfortable encounter he had with that one lady earlier. Maybe it was best to omit it from his story. "I think I may have drank too much."

"Oh, that's not good. Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. When I go back to Xuchang, there's going to be another party—a banquet, to be more specific. I'll probably have to lay off the alcohol, like I usually do. This time I'll have a legitimate excuse for not wanting to drink." His mother laughed heartily, patting his back.

"You're in for some fun."

* * *

 **NOTES**

[ **1** ] Historically, Xun Yu had two brothers. Their names were Xun Yan and Xun Chen. Because their ages were never recorded, I've decided both brothers are going to be portrayed several years older than Xun Yu in this fanfic. Also, this may be one of the few times I'll be mentioning them. Don't expect many allusions as they are relatively minor characters.

[ **2** ] Friendly reminder that Xun Yu is fairly tall, at least in _Dynasty Warriors_. KOEI lists his height as 5'11" (~180 cm).

[ **3** ] **Mijiu** \- Rice wine.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE** (very long message): It's been exactly 11 months since I released the first chapter. Welp. Firstly, I sincerely apologize for the delay. _Holy crap!_ It really shouldn't have taken me almost a year to update, especially on a new story that many people seemed interested in. I probably finished this chapter in about a week with a lot of determination. To be fair, I had writer's block and didn't develop an outline until a couple months ago. Making the outline was probably the best thing I've ever done. Typing goes smoothly now. In fact, I'm hoping to roll out another chapter or two by the end of this year.

The second reason why I haven't uploaded sooner was because I was anxious about the reception. The minute after I uploaded my first chapter to the site, I got an influx of reviews from this guest who apparently had something against OCs. They called my OC a Mary-Sue and continued to say many vulgar terms, trying to threaten me to take down my story. I got email notifications that night from the same user using different pseudonyms. The person officially didn't stop spamming me until the next morning, when they told me to "GO TO HELL", shortly followed by something along the lines of "sorry about that, please delete those comments." This may be an exaggeration, but I probably had around 20+ guest reviews to delete from my inbox (I moderate my guest reviews, btw). Needless to say, they were very passionate about me removing my story, or at least getting rid of this OC that they had a problem with.

Well, jokes on them because I never featured my main OC yet! I still haven't in this chapter, either. You can expect to see them in the next one, though. ;)

In retrospect, I try not to think too much about the incident as they issued a public apology and have removed (?) themselves from the community, but at the time, the damage was done, and it hurt my ego. Thankfully, I've mostly moved on and now I plan to actively continue developing this fanfic until its end.

Anyway, I'm surprised that I have a following, despite being on hiatus for nearly a year. For those that have followed, favorited, and/or reviewed my story, I give my thanks to you guys! You guys are saints. If you're a new reader and enjoy my story thus far, welcome aboard! :D

Enough rambling. I'll be vacationing with my family in a few days, so I probably won't be able to respond to any reviews/PMs right away during that time. Feel free to leave some feedback, anyway. You can even drop by and say hi! I dunno. I usually reply to all my messages.

See you guys soon!

 **tl;dr** : Sorry about not updating sooner. I had writer's block. I also had somebody ruin my motivation from the get-go with their negative comments. I'm okay now. On the side note, I appreciate my reviewers/followers for their support! ^_^

* * *

 _THIS CHAPTER WAS LAST MODIFIED ON_ _ **JUNE 10, 2017**_ _._


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